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| Before (above) and after (below)--renderings of the proposed traffic improvement project that commences this week for Longleaf Drive in District 1. |
Longleaf Drive in District 1 is frequently a very congested road. With houses, businesses, and four schools located on this short stretch of roadway--several times daily this road can become a parking lot.
That's why in 2007-2008 the BCC under then board member Mike Whitehead's leadership drew up a project to turn Longleaf from a 2 lane into a 4-lane road. The area was growing, four schools were on the road, UPS had its distribution hub there, many residents used it as part of a "cut-through" between Bellview and Wedgwood, over to Hwy 29 and Interstate 10.
So at that time, the thought was that Longleaf would evolve to become part of a regional East-West thoroughfare in the county, part of a regional evacuation route out of the County for disasters--with the Wedgwood connector being completed separately.
$13 Million from the Local Option Sales Tax, third renewal (LOST III) was set aside for this portion (Longleaf Drive) of the project, specifically.
So what happened in the 12 years since the project was developed?
What was predicted in 2008 to occur by 2017 on this roadway did not occur. Specifically, a 100% plus increase in daily trips from 7,700 daily in 2008 to more than 17,000 by 2017 did not happen. The actual daily volume on this road has actually decreased by about 1% per year. This is due in part to multiple factors, including the closure of the West Florida High School campus on this street, the abandonment of the county-wide east-west connector project, the delay of the Pinestead connector portion of this project through Wedgewood, and a shift in growth patterns more north and west from the Bellview area.
With this all said---the need for a 4-lane road with dedicated sidewalk on Longleaf has not materialized--and a better, more streamlined project can be completed with no further right of way (ROW) acquisition needed; a three lane project with a dedicated central turn lane throughout, along with sidewalks on both sides of the road can be accomplished within the currently controlled ROW the county owns.
And this streamlined project can be completed in just 24 short months at a savings of $6 Million plus dollars---which can be applied to other desperately needed D1 infrastructure projects.
In a recently presented staff PowerPoint on this project - this modified proposal was presented, along with several scenarios where the cost savings monies can be applied to other D1 projects.
This is the direction we are going, and staff is moving this forward.
I look forward to a much better roadway through this area by late 2022!
BoCC has ignored the people of Wedgewood and Bellview for years. We get lipservice in the form of townhall meetings that never help us in any way because 4-1 votes against the wellbeing of the people. The traffic from the schools, ECUA, Eager Beaver, the concrete crusher, UPS, the pits, and the cut through that you mentioned are destroying our quality of life in the surrounding neighborhoods. These are all two lane roads without improved shoulders but they are being used by large trucks that should not even be there. Since your tiff with Morgan, we have zero traffic law enforcement and now our neighborhood roads are unsafe raceways. Dead pets, dead wildlife and unsafe for the school kids or anyone else walking. You are aware of all the new development around here due to Beulah. Do you think that will have a positive effect on those of us already suffering under poor management and poor planning? Do you have a working relationship with Chip Simmons that good enough to get us some help after he takes over? How can you pretend like this is a victory?
ReplyDeleteThomas Jones, D1: I'm not pretending, and yes, this is a big victory for congestion in that area--look no further than the before and after renderings to see the improvement. And having nearly $6 Million in savings to apply to other infrastructure issues in D1 is the epitome, the very definition of a HUGE victory. About the sheriffs--yes there was a bit of a rough patch between the BCC and Sheriff Morgan over pay, however we got that issue solved with a 4-year pay plan. And yes, I have a very good rapport with Chip Simmons--I look forward to working with him. Just send me the areas where you see the biggest issues with speeding, and I will request additional patrols. I have found ECSO to be very responsive to these requests. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteWe need a similar Improvement on Belleview Avenue in the vicinity of the new library and Belleview Middle School
ReplyDeleteWe need a similar Improvement on Belleview Avenue in the vicinity of the new library and Belleview Middle School
ReplyDeleteSo we have 6 million to put on a road improvement on my street... *very low priority for me** but I have to hold my breath that if my house catches on fire or my 17 year old daughter is in a wreck we may not get the help we need to because we can't take care of our emergency services... Our Bocc need to prioritize..
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